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Balrampur district
Balarampur}} Balrampur district ( ) is one of the 72 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in India. Balrampur town located on the bank of the Rapti is the district headquarters. Balrampur district is a part of Devipatan division, and historic Awadh region. Balrampur is known for temple of Pateshwari Devi, a Shakti Pitha. To the left of the temple is Surya kund which according to legend, was made by Karn of the Mahabharata in honour of his father, the Sun god. Also for ruins of the ancient city of Sravasti, now a pilgrimage site for Buddhists and Jains. Etymology The district is named after the erstwhile princely estate (Taluqdari) and its capital, Balrampur. The name of this estate was derived from its founder Balram Das, who founded it in c. 1600 CE. History The territory which the present Balrampur district covers was a part of the ancient Kosala kingdom. Ancient period Sravasti was the capital of Uttara (North) Kosala. The ruins of Sahet, ancient Sravasti, spread over an area of . Towards the Rapti River, a little north of Sahet, lies the ancient city of Mahet. The fortified entrance to Mahet is made of mud, constructed in a beautiful crescent shape. The Sobhnath temple houses the great Stupas. These Stupas reflect the Buddhist tradition and boast of the history of the monasteries in Balrampur. Jeetavana monastery, one of the oldest monasteries in the country is said to be one of the favorites sites of Gautam Buddha. It contains the 12th century inscriptions. The site was so religiously significant that the Emperor Ashoka, the great, visited this site. There is also a sacred tree of Peepal nearby. It is said that the tree was grown from a sapling from the original Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya. Gautam Buddha spent 21 rainy season under the sacred Peepal tree. The famous incident of Angulimal happened in the forest of Sravasti only, where the cruel dacoit who used to kill people and wear a garland of their fingers, was enlightened by Gautam Buddha. Another site of great religious importance in the city is Sravasti. It is said that Mahavira Jain, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, 'influenced' this place. It houses the famous Shwetambar temple. Medieval period The area covered by the district was a part of Bahraich Sarkar of Awadh Subah during the Mughal rule. Later, it came under the control of the ruler of Awadh till its annexation in February, 1856 by the British government. British government separated Gonda from Bahraich and it became a part of Gonda. British and the post-independence period During the British rule a commissionary was constituted for the administration of this area with its headquarters at Gonda and military command at Sakraura Colonelganj. During this period Balrampur was an Estate (Taluqdari) in Utraula tehsil of Gonda district, which consisted 3 tehsils, Gonda Sadar, Tarabganj and Utraula. After independence, Balrampur estate was merged with Utraula tehsil of Gonda district. On July 1, 1953 the tehsil of Uttraulla was bifurcated into two tehsils, Balrampur and Utraula. In 1987 three new tehsils were created from Gonda Sadar tehsil, namely, Tulsipur, Mankapur and Colonelganj. Later, in 1997 Gonda district was bifurcated into two parts and a new district, Balrampur was born consisting of three tehsils of the northern part of the erstwhile Gonda district, Balarampur, Utraula, and Tulsipur. Geography The district's northern border with Nepal's Dang Deukhuri District follows the southern edge of the Dudhwa Range of the Siwaliks. To the northeast lies Kapilvastu. The rest of Balrampur is surrounded by Uttar Pradesh: on the east by Siddarthnagar, Basti on the south, Gonda on the southwest, and Shravasti on the west. Balrampur's area is 3,457 km2. Economy Balrampur town is known for Balrampur Chini Mills, one of the largest sugar manufacturing industry in the country. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Balrampur one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). It is one of the 34 districts in Uttar Pradesh currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Divisions The district comprises 3 tehsils, Balrampur, Tulsipur and Utraula, which are further divided in to 9 blocks: Balrampur, Gaindas bujurg, Gaisri, Harya satgharwa, Pachpedwa, Rehera bazar, Shriduttganj, Tulsipur and Utraula. Demographics According to the 2011 census Balrampur district has a population of 2,149,066, roughly equal to the nation of Namibia or the US state of New Mexico. This gives it a ranking of 213th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 27.74 %. Balrampur has a sex ratio of 922 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 51.76 %. The Khanzada community form the largest ethnic group in the district.This District is the Birth Place of Padmshree Bekal Utsahi (Well known Shayar).Former Prime Minister of India Sri Atal Behari Bajpayee was elected as MP first time in 1957 from Balrampur Constituency. References External links * }} Category:Districts of Uttar Pradesh Category:Established in 1997 Category:Balrampur district Category:Minority Concentrated Districts in India